As a competition climber I have many requirements when it comes to the climbing shoes that I wear. I have tried many different styles, brands and sizes in order to find the optimal performance. It is often a challenge to find the perfect climbing shoe, and while the following insight may not give you the answer as it is inherently personal I believe that the more information you have, the more informed your decision can be.
When climbing it can be difficult to find your ‘Cinderella shoe’. Often people expect that their perfect shoe will have no issues and will allow them to do absolutely everything. This is not the case and often people are too harsh on shoes if they let them down in a particular scenario. While I grab my solution comps for pretty much every training session, I do occasionally need my Skwama’s to do a precise heel hook or my Theory’s to walk across the worst volume ever put on a wall. Even in competition with my favourite shoe of all time, the Skwama, sometimes you walk out to view the boulders and there is a horrific slab with no small edges and only volumes and the Theory’s are the better option because you don’t need the versatility of the Skwama. Overall finding shoes is an incredibly personal affair and it does not always end with perfection, although it is usually a lot of fun.
The Solution Comp is an excellent shoe for many types of climbing. It is better for small edges than many other shoes I have tried due to the shaping of the rubber in the toe box and the external point created at the toe with additional rubber. This slightly thicker rubber at the point of the toe makes the Solution Comp’s my go to training shoe at the moment, as they are more resistant to wear in that particular area. The shoe is well shaped for toe and heel hooks with the strap placing tension over the side of your foot and creating a solid and non-moving base for the foot placement. However, using the Solution Comp I have found that, while it manages most styles of indoor climbing it is difficult to use when standing and walking on volumes. On competition slab routes there are often entire climbs or sections that require low angle volume walking. The shape of the Solution Comp makes this difficult.
The Theory is one of the softest climbing shoes I have ever worn. They are mainly made of rubber and it causes the shoe to shape more accurately to the climber's foot, this makes the theory’s one of the most adaptable shoes in the La Sportiva range. The expansive rubber causes them to mold more carefully to a climber’s foot giving them a larger range of motion to adjust their foot placement on different holds and volumes. Despite this benefit the theory was not my favourite shoe, I found they feel slightly larger on than other La Sportiva shoes and downsizing at least one half size from your regular La Sportiva size is a must. This larger feeling led to me to feel like my feet were sliding around inside the shoes when placed on holds making it difficult to trust the shoe. The rubber is also very soft, which while it has its benefits, especially for competition climbing and volume walking, makes it difficult to stand on precise edges and small holds often found in more traditional steep competition routes.
The Skwama is my preferred competition shoe. It is extremely versatile and comfortable. The shoe has a well designed toe box that has a refined rubber point allowing for precise edges but it is not so finalised that range of motion is limited. This allows me to stand on small edges but also correctly position my feet when walking on low angled volumes. The La Sportiva range comes together in the Skwama as it is a combination between the Python and the Solution. I have worn both of these shoes and find both have pros and cons. The Skwama takes the excellent edge of the Solution’s, for small crimpy standing and the malleability of the Python, for low angle volume walking and combines them, making my perfect competition shoe. Nonetheless the Skwama has issues, it is difficult to break in the shoes as it is difficult to size them correctly. Often the correct size feels impossible to get into when trying them on and the next size up becomes too big after being worn in. The Skwama also has a slight issue with the heel and the pressure it places on the bottom of the ankle, there is a common complaint that the shoe squeezes and causes rubbing in this area, however while this was frustrating in the beginning I do not find this to be an issue any more and have become accustomed to it.
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